


Blaze of Glory

by kristsune



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Depersonalization, M/M, added angst in second chapter, angst angst angst, canon character death, canon echo, ghost!fives, ghost!tup, post bio chip arc, tw body horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 18:51:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8501341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kristsune/pseuds/kristsune
Summary: Fives is a ghost, and is determined to find Echo.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the results when [thebisexualmandalorian](http://thebisexualmandalorian.tumblr.com/) and I are allowed to angst. It all started with this [post](http://armeleia.tumblr.com/post/152748637237/shittyhoroscopeszine-musterni-illustrates) In which Fives is Scorpio.  
> Huge shout out to the lovely beta [ all-stars-burn-as-one ](https://all-stars-burn-as-one.tumblr.com/)  
> 

As Fives lay dying in Rex’s arms, he realized that in the end, there is no blaze of glory. Hevy and Hardcase both went out in explosions, saving everyone’s lives in the process. 

Fives wasn’t going to get that. He wasn’t even going to get to die with the knowledge of saving anyone. No one was going to listen to a traitor of the Republic, because that was what everyone thought he was. That’s what everyone knew. He was going to die along with the knowledge that could have saved all of his brothers’ lives. 

No, Fives wasn’t going to get a blaze of glory. Fives was going to die with a sigh, and the whisper of ‘traitor’ on everyone’s lips.

At least, maybe he’d get to march away and find Echo in the Force. He wasn’t sure what happened after death, but if there were any way he could find Echo, he would.

\-------

When Fives came to himself, he was still in the warehouse where he was shot. He looked down, and fingered the hole in his armor. Yep. Definitely dead.

“Fives.”

He looked up to see Tup gazing down at him.

“I’m sorry to see you again so soon, but I guess I shouldn’t be all that surprised,” Tup said with a smirk.

“Yeah, well. At least I figured out what was wrong.” Fives met Tup’s eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t find it earlier.”

“Oh, Fiv’ika.” Tup crouched down and put his hand on Fives’ cheek, “You did all you could. I am grateful you stayed with me til the end.”

Fives leaned into the touch for a moment. Savoring the not quite there touch of his dead lover.

“Echo,” Fives whispered as his eyes snapped open. “If you’re here, we can find Echo.” He jumped up. “You never got to meet him. You’ll love him. He may love regs a bit much, but that doesn’t really matter now.”

Fives looked back at Tup, who had a sad look in his eyes. “I am so sorry. I hate to be the one to add to your already terrible day, but Echo hasn’t marched away. He is still among the land of the living.”

“No. No, it can’t be.” Fives was shaking his head, “I saw the explosion, I _saw_ him die!”

“Did you, though? Did you see him burn? Did you see his body?” 

Fives leaned back against a crate as his legs gave out -- apparently, being a ghost didn’t stop that from happening. 

A quiet ‘no’ escaped Fives’ lips before he laid his head down on his raised knees.

Fives wasn’t sure how much time had passed, though he supposed time doesn’t really have the same meaning when you’re dead. 

“You could find him,” Tup said from right next to him.

Fives looked over at him with a questioning look.

“With enough strength of will, you can travel the living world. You could find him.” Tup smiled. “I know you have the strength to do so.”

“Will you come with me?” 

Tup smiled sadly. “No, vod’ika. This is for you to do. I am content with my lot. I will continue to watch over our brothers.”

Fives kissed Tup’s cheek just over his tattoo. “Thank you, Tup’ika. I hope we’ll see each other again.”

Tup smiled as he turned around, then faded as he walked away.

_Alright_ , Fives thought to himself. _Time to find my husband._

\-------

The first thing Fives did was concentrate on Echo. He filled his mind with the memory of his husband, who he lost what seemed so long ago. What he looked like, what he smelt like, what he sounded like. How he laughed, how he cried, how he whooped with joy. He concentrated on him with what was left of his entire being.

There.

There he was. Somewhere that way. Nothing specific. Just. A direction to go in. It was something.

Fives couldn’t really achieve space travel on his own, so he jumped from transport to transport, ship to ship. Any time he reached another spaceport, he would concentrate on Echo and find the next direction to go in.

Occasionally he would end up on a battlecruiser, or a transport filled with his brothers. He would try to get their attention; yelling and screaming didn’t work, and neither did talking quietly. Sometimes he would see a jedi cock their head when he was nearby yelling, like they could hear something, but nothing more than that.

Mostly he would just stay out of the way. The sensation of anyone, especially a brother, walking through him was always distressing. For just a moment Fives could feel everything they were feeling, know everything they were thinking. It felt like he was being pulled out of himself. Like he was that person for the fraction of time they were in the same space. It made him feel like he wanted to throw up, even if he didn’t technically have a stomach anymore.

He was watching his brothers from a corner when he saw Rex, Cody, and Generals Skywalker and Kenobi walk by. He had no idea he was on the _Resolute_. He just knew this ship was headed towards Echo. He decided to follow the four of them to see what was currently happening with the war.

By the time he caught up with them, they were getting onto a transport to head to the planet. Fives stood in the corner to observe. No one was saying anything, but whatever was happening, it wasn’t good. All four of them were tense, and Rex looked about ready to vibrate out of his armor. 

When they landed, Rex just said a simple, “He’s this way.” 

Fives stepped off the transport and almost fell over with his first step. “He’s here.”

\-------

Fives stumbled into the room, where the Generals with Rex and Cody were standing around a figure in a chair. 

It was Echo, his husband. 

If Fives still had lungs, he didn’t think he would be able to fill them with air. Echo was barely recognizable. His perfect regulation hair was completely shaved off, and he had shunts in several places. Fives was glad that no one could hear him, because the sounds that escaped him when he realized that Echo was missing three of his limbs were agonizing. There were harsh metal prosthetics that started at the elbow on one arm, and above the knees on both of his legs. He just looked _so thin_. He had always been leaner than Fives, but it looked like he hadn’t eaten in _weeks_. 

Fives finally managed to get close enough to hear what everyone else was saying. 

“He can connect directly to the computers and slice in or out any information needed. Something about the experiments the Techno Union had done on his frontal lobe completely changed how his brain works and interacts with the environment around him,” Rex explained to the rest of the group.

Fives stopped listening after that because he had maneuvered himself between everyone else and Echo.

“Oh riduur, I am so sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t go back for you. I’m sorry I left you behind. I’m sorry you were left to this.” Fives couldn’t stop the tears streaking down his face. He wasn’t even aware that ghosts could cry.

Echo was still staring at the bank of screens that were on the wall in front of him, data scrolling across them in seemingly random patterns. 

Fives was still whispering apologies as Rex continued. 

“So far, we’ve just been having him work on things for us. We were planning on having him try to slice into a Separatist transmission to see what he could decipher from them. To see if he could pull anything out that the droids couldn’t.”

Obi-wan had his hand resting on his chin. “It would certainly be useful if he could. And, I would hope that maybe he could still feel some… pride, in serving the Republic in any capacity that he still could.” For a moment, Obi-wan looked to the space in front of Echo, right where Fives was standing, but lightly shook his head and turned to Rex. “Please, start the transmission.”

“Of course, General.” Rex turned to Echo. “We’re going to start now, Echo. Do you remember what I asked?” There was no response, but the look on Rex’s face showed that he really hadn't expected any. Fives was glad that they were at least still treating Echo like a human -- well, at least still like a clone.

Data started streaming in a more organized pattern, but after just a short time, the screen was filled with fives -- hundreds and thousands of fives. What no one noticed was where the word ‘chip’ and the number ‘66’ were interspersed.

Rex closed his eyes and sighed, “Stop the transmission.” He turned to the others. “He...hasn’t taken the news that Fives is dead very well. This still seems to happen occasionally. Especially when we use transmissions from the Separatists.”

Fives looked from the screen to Echo and back again. “You know. You know about the chips. And they aren’t listening.” Echo was still staring at the screens. Fives let out a bitter laugh, “Well, that makes two of us no one will listen to.”

While everyone else filed out, Rex walked over and put his hand on the back of Echo’s neck. “You did good, vod. I’ll check in with you as soon as I can.”

“Thanks, Rex. I’m glad to know someone has been trying anyway,” Fives said as Rex turned and walked away.

Fives’ heart ached when he looked back at Echo. “Riduur, I don’t think I can apologize enough for leaving you to this. I should have gone looking for you, I should have asked around. Had I known, I would have left the GAR to find you. I would have done, will do _anything_ for you.” Fives dropped to his knees. “Please, gedet’ye, forgive me.” 

When Fives looked up, Echo’s eyes were clear, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw that there was a five at the top right corner of each screen. Sweat was breaking out at Echo’s temple, and he was starting to shake. “Udesii, udesii. It’s okay, I know, I know. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” A single tear fell, but when Fives tried to wipe it away with his thumb, his hand went right through. Fives whined in the back of his throat. “Shh, shh, it's okay, riduur. I’m not leaving.” Echo’s eyes unfocused, and random data started to stream across the screen again. “I’ll never leave you again.”

He never did leave, until they could march away together.


	2. The Man who was Echo.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Echo's POV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been in the works for months. It has been really difficult to write, but I am really rather pleased with the results.

The man who once thought of himself as Echo sat staring at the bank of screens in front of him. He loved the way the numbers and characters moved around each other. He understood numbers, they created patterns and ideas that he could make sense of.

He preferred to watch and manipulate the numbers, because it was easier than anything else. Anytime the man tried to do anything other than work with the numbers, all he could feel was _agony_. It all hurt so much. Blinding pain in his head, followed by the ache in his limbs, which was the only time he remembered he didn’t have most of them anymore. But it didn’t mean they hurt any less.

Then there was the torment of memory. That was the worst of all. Memories of his life, of his brothers, of his husband. All gone. Even if he did still see clones occasionally. It was never the same, they weren’t the same. _He_ wasn’t the same.

So the man drifted, and if he liked to add extra 5’s into his sequences because he liked the way they looked, no one was the wiser.

\-------

Someone was talking to him again. It always took him time to realize what was happening outside of the screens.

It was the blonde one again. He was always kind. He used soft tones and gentle touch. Though even the softest touch still made him flinch. Anything too loud or harsh, hurt so much. But the blonde one tried, and that was something the man could appreciate.

There was something familiar about the blonde, but the man could never place it, and it caused a sharp pulsing behind his eyes anytime he tried to remember.

The man tried to focus enough to figure out what he was saying, but it was so difficult. Then he heard it, “It’s Fives, I-I’m so sorry.” The blonde choked back a sob, “He died.”

Everything in the room stopped. The blonde looked around, suspicion in his eyes. The screens all frozen, unmoving for the first time since the blonde had found him. Then dozens, hundreds, _thousands_ of small fives filled the screens.

Then lights over head started flickering, and exploding out, sending sparks everywhere. It was still not enough to express the agony the man was going through, the torment he was feeling. It was _excruciating_ , worse than anything he had been put through since he had died.

The blonde was looking panicked, he was trying to talk to him again, but the man couldn’t hear what he was saying over the ringing in his ears. Hundreds of fives were still skittering across the screens.

Finally the man gasped and closed his eyes. What lights were left came back on, and data started flowing normally across the screens again.

The blonde was talking again, the man couldn’t fully focus, but it sounded like it was supposed to be soothing, calming words. The man didn’t think he would ever be comforted again. So he just let his mind drift, and the numbers took over, washing through him, allowing him to forget again for a while.

\-------

People were talking in the room again. The man ignored them. All they did was bring more heartache.

The man thought he heard something, _someone_ , he hadn’t for a long time. No. It couldn’t be true, it was just his grief flaring again. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t look away from the screens. Looking away from the screens only meant more anguish.

The blonde one was talking to him again. A new datafile came through for him to play with, he sliced into it easily, revealing what was locked inside.

FivesFivesFivesFivesFivesFivesFivesFivescontrolchipsFivesFivesordersixtysixFivesFivesFivesFivesFivesFivessixtysixFivesFivesFiveschipFivesFives.

He plastered it all over the screens. The reason Fives died. The reason they would all die. The clones, the Jedi. All of them.

There. There it was again. Riddur. Husband. _Pain_.

The man who once called himself Echo, focused harder than he had since he had been found. He focused on the sound that he knew in his heart, the sound that would never leave him. The sound of his husband’s voice.

_There_ , there he was. He was hazy, like Echo couldn’t quite focus on him. He looked to be made of mist, Echo could see right through him. He was crying. That broke Echo’s heart, to see Fives like that.

It was so difficult to concentrate, pain was lancing through Echo’s temples, but Fives’ looked at him. He felt a soft, ghost of a touch on his cheek. He didn’t flinch away. It was cool and gentle and barely there. It didn’t _hurt_ . Fives was apologizing, telling him he could be easy, to _relax_ . So he did. Fives said it was okay.

The man who once thought of himself as Echo was watching the bank of screens in front of him. Collecting and rearranging the data, making it comprehensible to anyone that wasn’t him.

No one could figure out how to get rid the 5 that was in the top right corner of every screen. The number never seemed to translate into the data, so no one was overly concerned. And no one paid any attention to the curl of the man’s hand, which, if one looked closely, would look like it was holding a hand that wasn’t there.

**Author's Note:**

> The scene with Rex, Obi and Ani was inspired from this [post](http://mollo101.tumblr.com/post/145671860004/caution-what-if-story-darkfic-story-of-broken) from mollo101. It's beautiful and makes me want to cry.


End file.
